Daily Quiz

Solution (b)
Explanation:
• The Model Code of Conduct for the guidance of political parties and candidates is a set of norms which has evolved with the consensus of political parties who have consented to abide by the principles embodied in the said code and also binds them to respect and observe it in its letter and spirit.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has the authority to transfer officers to ensure a fair election process. Such transfers are intended to prevent any potential misuse of official power to benefit any candidate or political party. (Statement 1 is correct)
• The model code of conduct is typically applicable only in the constituency where the by-election is being held. It does not extend to the entire metropolitan area unless specific parts of that area are also part of the constituency in which the election is taking place. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• The model code of conduct prohibits the use of religious places as forums for election campaigning or propaganda. This rule is intended to ensure that elections are conducted in a secular manner and that religious sentiments are not exploited for electoral gains. (Statement 3 is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/odisha/eci-sujata-karthikeyan-wife-of-vk-pandian/article68132331.ece

Solution (d)

Explanation:

• Swell waves are formed by an ocean swell, hence the name swell surge. Ocean swells occur not due to the local winds, but rather due to distant storms like hurricanes, or even long periods of fierce gale winds. (Statement 1 is incorrect)
• During such storms, huge energy transfer takes place from the air into the water, leading to the formation of very high waves. Such waves can travel thousands of kilometres from the storm centre until they strike shore. (Statement 2 is correct)
• Usually, states like Kerala witness swell waves as a result of strong winds in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, where an ocean swell is generated, and the waves then travel north to reach the coast in two or three days.
• The recent March swell waves were generated after a low atmospheric pressure system moved over the region from the South Atlantic Ocean — 10,000 kilometres off the Indian coast.
• Unlike swell waves, a tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean.
• Tsunamis are around 10 times faster than swell waves. Although both swell waves and tsunamis slow down near the coast, the latter hit land at 30–50 km/h. (Statement 3 is incorrect)

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/swell-waves-likely-to-hit-several-coastal-areas-over-the-weekend-says-incois-what-are-these-waves-9307429/

Solution (b)

Explanation:

• Catatumbo lightning is a stunning natural event occurring at the confluence of the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. It is famed for its remarkable frequency and intensity, earning the area the nickname “the lightning capital of the world.” This unique meteorological phenomenon happens for up to 160 nights per year, with as many as 28 lightning strikes per minute at its peak. (Option (b) is correct)
• The conditions that lead to Catatumbo lightning arise from a specific set of geographical and meteorological factors. Warm, moist air from the Caribbean Sea travels towards the Andes Mountains. As it reaches the mountains, it encounters cooler air descending from the peaks. The landscape around the river mouth forces this warm air to rise sharply. As the air ascends, it cools and condenses, forming massive cumulonimbus clouds, sometimes over 5 kilometers high.
• These towering clouds become charged with electricity due to the strong winds and significant temperature differentials within them. When the electrical potential in these clouds exceeds a certain threshold, it is released in the form of frequent and intense lightning discharges. This continuous activity not only illuminates the night sky but also plays a crucial role in the local ecosystem by helping to replenish the area’s nitrogen levels.

Source: https://skybrary.aero/articles/catatumbo-lightning (Explained article on this was published in The Hindu)

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The Maharashtra Forest department is gearing up for translocation of a few tigers from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur to Sahyadri, the lone tiger reserve in the state’s western region. (Option (c) is correct)
• The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is one of only five tiger reserves in the country — Kaval in Telangana, Kamlang in Arunachal Pradesh,Dampa in Mizoram and Satkosia in Odisha being the other four — with zero tigers within the reserve and the translocation is part of a long-term plan to revive the population of the big cats in the northern Western Ghats forests.
• STR straddles Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Ratnagiri districts in western Maharashtra. Spread over 1,165 sq km, the reserve was notified in 2010 by amalgamating the Chandoli national park and Koyna wildlife sanctuary.
• The Maharashtra Forest department is awaiting the final go-ahead from the Union Environment Ministry to tranquilise the tigers in TATR for the translocation process.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had cleared the translocation plan in October 2023. In the initial phase, a male tiger or a pair of male and female tigers would be translocated from TATR to STR.
• The permission to tranquilise the tigers is provided under Section 12 of the Wildlife Protection Act, The translocation project is an important step in conservation of tigers in the forests of the northern Western Ghats, which form a key wildlife corridor between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• This corridor allows connectivity of tiger population in Sahyadri reserve, Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary, Amboli reserve forest, Mhadei wildlife sanctuary in Goa and Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary and Kali tiger reserve in Karnataka, according to the government’s All India Tiger Estimation report, 2023.
• During the 2022 population estimation exercise in Sahyadri, no evidence of tiger was captured on camera traps.
• The 2023 tiger population estimation report also highlighted the threats posed to the wildlife corridor between the STR and Karnataka’s forests from mining activities, road projects and human settlements.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-gears-up-to-translocate-tigers-from-tatr-to-sahyadri-reserve-9310281/

Solution (b)

Explanation:

• For the first time, researchers have created a free-standing sheet of gold that is only one atom thick. This makes gold the first metal to be formulated into (freestanding) 2D sheets opening up a host of exciting possibilities for the future. (Statement 1 is correct)
• It is not that such 2D materials have not been created before. Since the 2004 development of graphene, the atom-thin material made of carbon, scientists have identified hundreds of 2D materials. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• However, coming up with atom-thin metallic sheets has been a challenge, due to metals’ tendency to cluster together to make nanoparticles instead.
• These sheets of goldene are roughly 100 nanometres thick (a nanometre is a billionth of a metre), approximately 400 times thinner than the thinnest commercially available gold leaf.
• Scientists believe that the super thin, super light material can potentially revolutionise the electronics industry. (Statement 3 is correct)
• Goldene holds promise as a great catalyst because it’s much more economically viable than thicker, three-dimensional gold.
• Moreover, the technique used by the scientists to create goldene can, in theory, also be applicable to other metallic objects.
• Future applications could include carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen-generating catalysis, selective production of value-added chemicals, hydrogen production, water purification, etc.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/covid-virus-is-still-here-why-arent-more-people-falling-ill-9310234/